Vivek Agnihotri posts cryptic message after IFFI jury head criticises The Kashmir Files: ‘Truth…can make people lie’

Vivek Agnihotri has posted a cryptic tweet hours after his film The Kashmir Files was termed ‘vulgar propaganda’ by the jury head at the ongoing 53rd International Film Festival of India.

Without mentioning the film or the incident, Vivek tweeted about how ‘truth can make people lie’. Many on social media, however, took this as a direct dig at the controversy.

On Monday night, while speaking at the 53rd International Film Festival of India in Goa, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, this year’s jury head, said he was ‘disturbed’ to watch The Kashmir Files and termed it propaganda.

While the film’s lead actor Anupam Kher has termed this statement ‘pre-planned’, Vivek did not refer to the controversy directly. He tweeted on Tuesday morning, “GM (good morning). Truth is the most dangerous thing. It can make people lie. #CreativeConsciousness”

On Monday night, while speaking at the festival, Nadav Lapid addressed The Kashmir Files in particular and said, “That felt like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable to openly share these feelings here with you on this stage. In the spirit of this festival, can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life.” News agency ANI reported that the organisers of the festival refused to comment on the statement.

Actor Anupam Kher, who played the lead in The Kashmir Files, has responded though. On Tuesday morning, while speaking to the media, he referred to Lapid and said, “It seems pre-planned as immediately after that the toolkit gang became active. It’s shameful for him to make a statement like this.

Jews have suffered Holocaust and he comes from that community. For him to make such a statement, he has also pained those people who have been victims of this tragedy many years ago. May God give him wisdom so that he does not further his agenda on stage using the sufferings of thousands.”

The Kashmir Files, directed by Agnihotri, also stars Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar, and Pallavi Joshi among others. The film is based on real incidents that took place in the Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s that involved the targetted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and the subsequent mass exodus of the community.